strathconaman

So, after three years, I really got after the leather today. I started with the usual: shiny, but not great looking. What I didn't do was put anything on it when I was done.

Before (way before, like when I first got the car):


After:








What I have been left with is a really nice finish that I like.

Now. Do I put some "conditioner" on it? Leave it as is?

wildbilly32

What did you use to get "here"?

strathconaman

I really got in there with a brush, microfiber towel and some woolite. My bucket-o-water was nasty when I was done.

wildbilly32

Looks nice. I've always heard to use some kind of a conditioner to keep the leather from drying out, but I'm far from an expert. There should be some chime in with much more knowledge.

Fracture

there was discussion about this a year ago
iirc. the full leather interiors were all treated leather and did not need much in the way of conditioning

I tried a Leatherique application using a small heater to get the interior of the car to the high 90's
the Leatherique just kind of sat there (for about a week) and I wound up cleaning it off

I think the best thing is to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and clean regularly

SKM

The leather finish is essentially a coating/paint that conditioners will not penetrate. If you've ever seen leather seats restored using dyes, it is essentially a leather paint. The conditioners will penetrate cracks and cuts in the coating as well as the stitching holes, softening the leather in that immediate area. Griot's Interior cleaner is an excellent, mild cleaner for all interior surfaces and leaves the black leather, vinyl and fabric finishes streak-free. Conditioners will lay on the coating surface, leaving a sheen.

cds72911

I'm not very skilled or knowledgable at the detail stuff, but I've used Lexol cleaner and then conditioner for years on all sorts of leather including the interiors of several cars and it seems to do a good job. I thought cleaning with lots of water was kind of bad for leather?

peterp

Agree with the above. There are some high-end products like oils that soak into leather, but for 996 leather in good shape, Lexol cleaner and conditioner is very difficult to beat. It's also widely available and inexpensive. Just follow the directions. The Lexol cleaner is great and the Lexol conditioner will soften the leather quite a bit. The oils are overkill for leather that isn't dried out, and if any touchup dye has been done in the past, there is a slight risk that soaking in an oil for extended periods of time will lift the touched up areas. Lexol is very safe and very effective.

Atrox

peterp

I hope this doesn't come off as a "jerk" statement, but as much as I love 303 protectant (which is a lot), I'm not a fan of using it on leather. Most leather is coated these days, but even coated leather still breathes a bit, which is why leather conditioners still soften the leather even when it's coated. 303 is great on just about everything, and I especially love the UV protectant value of it, but it's not a great product for leather because you really don't want to seal the surface.

There's a great article leather care by Larry Reynolds of Car Care Specialties -> https://store.carcareonline.com/care...ofyourcar.aspx. Larry is a Porsche and BMW guy and hosts many PCA concours prep sessions. When I showed him my 996 after I got it asking for specific product recommendations, and I brought up using 303 on the interior, he went out of his way to say don't use 303 on leather. That said, tons of people are using 303 on leather and the world has not ended for them, but I agree with Larry's argument that you want to let leather breathe as much a possible.

For my 996, which had excellent leather that just needed a bit of cleaning, he sat in the car and specifically recommended against oils (like leatherique or Surflex Soffener) because the leather wasn't dried out at all. He recommended either Lexol cleaner/conditioner or "Leather Therapy" brand wash and restorer. I used the latter, and it's great stuff, but Lexol is excellent also and much more widely available.

Atrox

peterp

Thanks for posting!! I did not know about their leather product. I have since "added to cart", will check it out. I love everything 303 makes and the UV protection thing is legit (a "friend of mine" accidentally sprayed regular 303 protectant on a solar light panel, and that light turns on way sooner than the other lights because the UV blocking makes it think it's dark when it's still fairly light out).

strathconaman

That 303 leather looks great. Can you show us a picture? Does it finish matte?

I thought I liked my seats with a little shine to them...right up until I totally cleaned them and saw them matte.

Atrox

strathconaman

That looks great. Next time I am south of the boarder I will pick some of that up.